Ripon Unified School District is moving forward with the purchase of a new property that is expected to become the home of its district offices and warehouse operations.

The Board of Trustees recently approved spending $4.595 million to purchase the property at 800 S. Stockton Ave. The 2.37-acre site includes approximately 33,057 square feet of office and warehouse space and had been listed for $4.695 million.

The sale has not closed yet. Assist International, which currently owns and operates from the property, confirmed to Our Ripon that the transaction is in escrow.

“The potential sale is currently in process and has not yet been finalized, but we are in escrow,” Dana Bowles, Vice President of Finance for Assist International, told Our Ripon.

Assist International has operated from the South Stockton Avenue property for more than two decades. The nonprofit has used the facility as a major part of its humanitarian operations, including receiving, storing and shipping medical equipment and other supplies to projects around the world.

The organization said its need for a large central warehouse has changed over the years, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic. Much of its workforce now works remotely or from other locations around the country and internationally, while more supplies are purchased and shipped directly to project sites.

Assist International plans to move its warehouse operations to Oregon, where it already has another office. The organization said two employees whose jobs are closely tied to the Ripon warehouse will not continue with Assist following the sale.

Our Ripon will take a closer look at Assist International’s more than 20-year history at the property and its future plans in a separate story.

For Ripon Unified, the purchase would mark a major change from its longtime district office location at 304 N. Acacia Ave., next to Ripon High School.

The district has operated from the Acacia Avenue location for decades, with records showing the address being used as Ripon Unified’s headquarters for at least 25 years. The office currently supports a number of district-level operations, including the superintendent’s office, human resources, business services and educational services.

The South Stockton Avenue property would give the district considerably more space and, because it includes both office and warehouse areas, could allow administrative and support operations to be brought together at one location.

The property includes office space, warehouse areas, loading access and other commercial features that could be used for storage and district operations. Ripon Unified has not yet publicly detailed exactly which departments will move there or whether additional work will be needed before the building can be occupied.

The move also raises questions about what will happen to the current district office property on Acacia Avenue.

Because the existing office sits directly alongside Ripon High School, the property could potentially create additional options for the high school campus or other district uses once the administrative offices move. At this point, however, Ripon Unified has not announced any plans for the site.

The purchase comes as Ripon Unified oversees a district serving more than 3,300 students across seven schools. The district operates five TK-8 elementary schools, along with Ripon High School and Harvest High School.

Ripon Unified also employs hundreds of people. District recruiting information lists more than 150 certificated teachers and itinerant staff, more than 200 support employees and an 18-member administrative leadership team. While only a portion of those employees work from the district office, the administrative staff based there support the schools, employees and students throughout the district.

Several details surrounding the $4.595 million purchase remain unanswered.

Our Ripon contacted Ripon Unified School District asking how the property will be paid for, whether any portion of the purchase will be financed, why the district decided it needed a new office and warehouse, which departments will relocate and whether renovations will be needed.

We also asked when the district expects to move, how many employees will work at the new location, whether other properties were considered and what the district intends to do with the current Acacia Avenue offices. Additional questions included whether an appraisal was completed and whether the purchase will have any impact on the district’s general fund, classroom spending or other planned facility projects.

As of publication, Ripon Unified School District had not responded to Our Ripon’s questions.

With the property still in escrow, the purchase is not yet final. More information is also expected to emerge about when the district could move and what the transition will mean for both the new South Stockton Avenue property and the longtime district office next to Ripon High.

Our Ripon will update the story if Ripon Unified provides additional information.